Better Than Goode
by andinify
Summary: One time Zachary Goode is finally home from a mission, and finds out he's not a Goode at last. One-shot.


**Title**

Better than Goode

**Summary**

Zachary Goode is finally home from a mission, and finds out he's not a Goode at last.

* * *

"_To be honest, I wish we could have taken your family name instead of mine."_

"_And why is that?"_

"_Don't you see? My family name is the worst name you could ever dream of having. So not like how it sounds. Full of whatever sins you could ever imagine. High official of international terrorist organization. Assasins. Traitors. Double-agent, the evil one at that. What else?"_

"_Zachary Goode. That part is not that evil, you know."_

_If she didn't know better, she could have sworn he was blushing crimson freaking red._

"_Still. Morgan name have all the cool things you could have ever imagined. Best pavement artists. Awesome spies. And one of the last Morgan girl here…"_

"_What?"_

"_Nothing."_

"_That's absolutely not nothing, Zach."_

"_Forget it."_

"_No."_

"_Yes."_

"_No."_

"_You won't get your share of trying my newest hidden camera. You know… the one Jonas made special for me. FX900."_

"_The hell? That's not fair, you bastard!"_

"_But you love me anyway."_

"_Fair enough. But I still want to know."_

"_Then you won't get to try it out."_

"_Jerk."_

"_Love you too, Gallagher Girl."_

"_You're unbelievable."_

"_Thank you."_

* * *

He stops in front of his apartment, slightly not believing that he would be here again. His last mission was one hell of a fight he honestly once thought he wouldn't make it home. But the thought of Cammie having to go through the same like her mother did, got the best out of him.

Now see where he is standing now.

His internal clock tells him it's 3:34 PM, if he's not mistaken, is one of Cammie's afternoon nap time. Well, since she got pregnant anyway. She likes to sleep in lately; or that's what he remember, last time he's here. She was two months into pregnancy, now what? He's been away for three months, her bump should have been more visible now.

He fumbles with a needle for a while to unlock the door, and creeps inside. Without making any sound, Zach closes the door and tiptoes to their bedroom, pushing the door lightly.

But the view before him isn't a sleeping Cammie, but her focusing on her father's journal on her lap, while holding two pieces of paper in hand.

Of all times Cammie spends her time reading her father's journal, none of them is a good time. Most were when she was on the edge of breaking down, or missing her father so bad she would start hallucinating it scares him to no end.

No more caring of his plan on surprising her, Zach strides in quickly and wraps her in his arms. "Hey, you alright?"

But he does surprise her. She jumps as his arms envelope her, and in no time tears following out of her eyes. "Oh my God," she breathes, the paper forgotten. Cammie buries her face in his chest, relief bursting out from her entire body. _Zach is home. Zach is finally home_, she chants inwardly.

Abruptly, she pushes him against her as something suddenly dawns on her. "You're late." That's a statement, not a question, he knows that. Zach shrugs nonchalantly, "Yeah. Got a little bit tied up for a while, help was somewhat delayed. But I'm home now, aren't I?"

A smile slips into her face, but he more than anybody knows her better. Something's bothering her.

"What's wrong?"

Her eyes flicker to the papers strewn on the floor, then goes to pick them up. Wordlessly, she hands it to him. "Read it yourself." Cammie tells him quietly.

He looks down on the papers, and quite surprised to see they're still part of her father's journal. It just seems like they're detached from the book itself.

"I found them slipped beneath the back cover. It seems like they're accidentally detached from the book, but my father didn't want to throw them away. I mean, it's his journal. Who wants to throw their journals away?"

Figures. But Zach doesn't hear much of her explanation. He's already too caught up in reading his wife's father that could probably be the most shocking thing he's ever faced since the past few years.

_I met Robert today. Just right after I went back from my mission, while he seemed to be ready for another one._

_I was staring at the picture of three-year-old Cammie Rachel put on my desk while I was gone. Still not sure that is my girl I'm going to meet soon. She's so big. Last time I saw her, she wasn't that big. 'Big' in a good way, of course._

_At first I wasn't aware of his presence behind me, peeking to see what I was looking at. Old Robert, never seem to be ashamed whenever he's caught looking. I know someone's there behind me, but from the smell I know it's him, so I let him._

_And when he finally spoke up, "One hell of little Morgan over there."_

_Not quite the word I had in mind, but for once I took that as a compliment. He told me how Cammie would be breaking hearts someday, and although I wasn't really pleased with that (still am), Robert was right. This little girl is too much like her mother, whom has broken several hearts before this one lucky bastard who is writing a freaking journal got her swept off her knees._

_The best mission I've ever accomplished: winning Rachel Cameron's heart._

_Accidentally, I blurted out one thing that I shouldn't have said. I asked about his son._

_The one that's been missing, brought by a double-agent bitch that once he called his wife._

_I saw his face crumpled, and right in that second I regret what I said. But as I was about to apologize, his face went back to its normal form._

"_Hopefully good. If there's one thing I know about Catherine, she does love him."_

_Ah, yes, of course. Even bitches like Catherine Goode can possibly have hearts as well. And there goes my conversation with Robert. Pretty much like this:_

"_Have you found out what was her motive of-"_

"_Manipulating me? Honeypotting me? Nope. Not yet anyway."_

"_You have a photo of him? Who knows if I'm deployed somewhere and see a boy who's surprisingly your little…?"_

_(He smiles. Robert freaking smiles, not _smirk _or _grin_.) "Zachary. Here."_

_And when he showed me a photo of little Zachary who is seemingly at the same age as my Cammie—all with his father's features—except for the eyes. From his jawline, to his hair, the shape of his face, his skin tone, his smirk: all Robert's._

"_Too bad he gets his mother's eyes. I kind of hope to see little Robert over here. You know, to ease my search. Would be easier to spot _you _since, you know, you're kind of hard to not being seen."_

"_Well, it's one of good things Catherine has. Her eyes. Still, Zach's are much mesmerizing."_

"_Yep. Got some specks from your hazel ones, I guess."_

"_Is that even possible? Just specks?"_

"_Okay. Shades?"_

"_Whatever, Morgan."_

"_Yeah. You going now?"_

"_Yep. Gotta kick some asses, my feet've been itching to."_

"_Figures."_

"_Tell your little Morgan I said hi."_

"_Cammie."_

"_Right. Tell Cammie I said hi."_

"_Sure."_

It was written in black ink. But the last sentence, one Zach suspects was written some time later, was written in blue.

_That was my last time I talked to him._

He lets the papers drop from his hands. Cammie's father knew his dad, known as Robert from what Matthew Morgan said. He even seemed to know Robert well. Robert who, he has no idea. For all he knows, Robert was one of CIA agents. But he seemingly was MIA, or worse: KIA in his last mission, the one Cammie's father was asking him about in his journal.

Zach is way too drowned in his own thoughts he doesn't even realize Cammie has gone from his side, and now's been busy with her laptop on their desk. But once he realizes this, Zach goes up to her.

"What are you doing?" he asks, peeking over her shoulder.

"Hacking into CIA's database. What do you think?"

He blinks. "What for?"

That earns him an eye-roll from his wife. "Oh come on, do you not want to know who your dad is? _I _want to, if you don't."

Quickly, Zach shakes his head. "No. Of course I want to know."

From that point on,, Zach pulls a chair and sits next to his wife, letting her busy with all the stuff while he just sits there and watch. His mind is too numb to even just think of hacking into CIA's database, looking for someone who is—was—probably his father.

Suddenly he hears a camera click, and it is what finally pulls him out of his thought. "Did you just photograph me?"

As if nothing just happened, Cammie just turns around and continues with her stuff. "Yeah. Face-scan."

"Excuse me?"

With a scowl, Cammie turns around and says, "just so you know, there are approximately 20,000 employees in CIA and that's only the number civilians estimated. Moreover from what I've gathered here, there are hundreds of those who named Robert. Do you really think we'd look for him one by one? I wouldn't, thank you very much."

"And you scanned my face for-"

Cammie snaps her finger in front of her husband's face. "Come on, Zachary. Snap out of it. I know you're shocked and all, but I don't think being this dumbfounded is necessary."

Just as she starts her sentence, Zach scowls. "First-name basis, I see, Cameron."

He gets a death glare in return, but it doesn't go further than that. Cammie, knowing him well enough to not let his ego comes in their way turns around, and continues on working through CIA database. She's not Liz or Jonas, so it takes a whole lot of longer time than they actually need to _merely _hacking into CIA database. Yes, _merely_. For them, it is just like a piece of cake.

For her? That's a different story.

After what seems like hours of rummaging in the cyber world trying to force her way in, she finally breaks through the firewall. Soon afterwards, she's already browsing through the CIA's active field agents. Then she narrows her search by inserting Zach's face-scan, and gets some results of agents that have similar features like him.

"No Roberts." He suddenly says next to her. Cammie jumps in surprise, and whips around. "I thought you were still zoning-out."

Zach shrugged. "I was. Not anymore."

Pretty much an answer she was expecting, so Cammie only shrugs and turns back around. "So… now that he's not in this list, where do you think we could find him?"

Honestly, Zach is afraid. There is a sliver bit of hope inside him, this tiny little bit that saying maybe, just _maybe _this whoever Robert who seems (or seemed) to be his father is still alive somehow. MIA, at least.

"Try the MIA list." Is what he says. And so she does as she's told. She browses through the MIA list, the same steps she went through with the active field-agents list.

"None." She says quietly, not wanting to crush Zach's hope even in a little bit.

And then he says this other thing he's been afraid of. With a deep intake of breath, Zach states firmly. "Then look in the KIA."

So unfortunate of them, as Cammie types the word 'Robert' in search column, the result pops in the screen less than second after. As quick as the result appears, Cammie clicks on the profile with both her and Zach's breath stuck in their throat.

_**Hunt, Robert.**_

_**Occupation: CIA field-agent.**_

_**Status: Deceased. KIA, 1994.**_

_**Last operation: Moscow, Russia; December 1994.**_

_**Found: St. Petersburg, Russia; January 1995.**_

_**Parents: Edward Hunt – deceased – CIA field-agent.**_

_** Stephanie Robert – deceased – CIA Research & Development fieldwork agent.**_

_**Sibling(s): none.**_

_**Spouse: [ex] Catherine Goode – deceased – Circle of Cavan official.**_

_**Descendant(s): Zachary Hunt – unknown.**_

Even without looking, she knows Zach's jaw is probably already hitting the floor. Robert _Hunt _is his father. Okay, _was_. Still, finally find out who his family came from; not from his mother's side which is probably the very last thing on earth Zachary Goode would be proud of, but from his father's side, whom he just finds out literally right _now_.

"You seriously didn't do something wrong?"

Doesn't even have the strength to reply a snarky retort, Cammie shakes her head breathlessly, just as he does. "No. I swear I didn't."

Zach blinks. "My father is Robert _the _Hunt? The only son of Edward freaking Hunt and Stephenie Hunt?"

"Yes, Zach." Cammie laughs tearfully. Finally knowing what family Zach comes from, and not just _any _family makes her feel like she wants to burts into a fit of laughter. Joyful laughter. And she has a feeling the status of Zachary Hunt will no longer be unknown soon.

"Edward _freaking _Hunt who was in the covert plan of overthrowing the Guatemala evil government? The one that was in the successful team of OSS in World War II? You didn't get him wrong, did you?" Zach asks, still in disbelief.

She laughs again. "No, Zach. I didn't."

"And this Robert," he pauses, still breathless. "This particular Robert who covertly blew the cover of Adrian Ames and his wife as spies for Soviet?"

"And killed the infamous Irish mobster Mason Cahill."

"That's _my _dad."

"Yep. So by law, you're actually _not _Zachary Goode,"

And he cuts her off with a wide smile she's afraid his (pretty) face would be screwed, "but Zachary _Hunt_."

Cammie can't help but laugh. "And that's a cool surname, isn't that?"

Instead of answering her question, he just pulls her into a hug with a grin, and asks her another one. "Ready to change our last name altogether?"

Without releasing his arms, she grins back at him. "Cameron Hunt," she says, trying out how it sounds on her tongue. And it does roll off her mouth smoothly, as if it has always belonged there all along.

"I like the sound of that."

* * *

_**A/N: **__I know I am supposed to be working on my other stories, but this random thought that popped out on my mind yesterday and I just had to get it out._

_Oh, and don't bother wondering why I used the word 'freaking' lots of time. Just feeling like I wanted to..._

_And just to clarify: all those events I mentioned in this one-shot did happen (mostly in 1994, go check out wikipedia). But I changed the names a little bit, just so it won't offend the real persons out there._

_So, this is my first try on Gallagher Girls, not my first try on FF though. Thoughts?_


End file.
